Though a longshot, Harden still hopes to play tonight against Clippers

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James Harden suffered a sprained ankle against the Warriors on Tuesday night. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press)

Rockets guard James Harden attended the Rockets’ game-day meeting between treatment sessions on Wednesday, still hoping to be able to play against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Harden is listed as a game-time decision, though it would seem to be a longshot for him to come back so quickly after limping out of Oracle Arena on Tuesday.

“I’m tough enough,” Harden said after the game. “My main focus is on tomorrow, getting the right treatment, icing as much as possible, try to get my ankle ready and my knee ready. My whole body hurts.”

Harden sprained his ankle against the Warriors on Tuesday when he stepped on David Lee’s right foot on a fast break. Though he returned to the game and led the Rockets with 27 points, he was limping badly during the game and after. He bruised his knee in a collision against the Kings on Sunday and struggled with that injury even before turning the ankle, aggravating it on a fall on a fast-break drive in the first quarter on Tuesday.

As much as Harden is the focus of the Rockets offense, Rockets coach Kevin McHale said his absence would not change what the Rockets will attempt to do, only who will try to do it. If Harden is out, Carlos Delfino would likely start with James Anderson coming off the bench, as he did when Delfino was out against the Warriors and Heat last week.

“We run the same stuff no matter who is in,” McHale said. “Our offense is pretty much set. At the end of games we run some different stuff, but pretty much, our offense is a read-and-react offense. If you’re playing, you have to read and react. I thought James Anderson did a nice job when he filled in when ‘Los was hurt.”